Inspecting and Repairing Your Insulation: Follow This Checklist
If your insulation isn't up to snuff, your energy bills will skyrocket
Poor indoor air quality, noticeably uncomfortable temperatures in your home, and rising energy bills are all indicators of insulation problems. But there are several ways you can quickly check for insulation issues in your house to get the problem solved. Use this checklist for inspection and insulation repair to get your home back up to peak performance.
A Note on Safety: Fiberglass insulation can be dangerous and messy, so consider hiring a local insulation company to inspect and repair your insulation for you. That said, most homeowners can inspect and repair basic insulation issues, like air leaks, themselves.
Inspecting Your Insulation
Make sure to wear long sleeves and long pants, as well as safety goggles, a face mask, and protective gloves anytime you’ll be touching your insulation. Fiberglass insulation, one of the most common types of insulation, can easily break off into sharp shards when you touch it. Those shards can cause skin, eye, and lung irritation, so make sure you take the proper precautions.
If you’re not sure what type of insulation you have, err on the side of caution and gear up before you begin.
Determine Your Insulation Type
Cellulose, fiberglass, and spray foam insulation are among the most common types of insulation used in homes. If you’re not sure what type you have right off the bat, get a closer look. You can generally tell what type of insulation you have by looking at it. Use the same type of insulation for repairs and replacements. You can use the notes below to help you determine what type of insulation you have in your home.
Fiberglass insulation: This is the most common type of insulation. It has a brown paper covering and a cotton candy-like layer behind it that’s usually pink or yellow. It’s most often between studs, rafters, and floor joists.
Rockwool insulation: This is similar to fiberglass insulation but usually looks a little more compact and has a yellowish or brownish color. The face could either be a reflective metal material or paper. Wool insulation costs more than fiberglass, but it’s a better insulator.
Spray foam insulation: Spray foam insulation is hard and usually has an uneven surface. It’s less common between studs and is more often used around windows and doors.
Rigid foam board insulation: This is a hard board that’s usually pink in color. This insulation can be found just about anywhere.
Loose fill insulation/blown-in insulation: This insulation is most common in attics and other unfinished spaces. It’s not cohesive, so you can identify it if you find loose pieces of insulation, usually creating an uneven surface or even mounds of material.
Reflective insulation: Reflective insulation has a shiny metal appearance on the surface. It’s almost exclusively used as attic roof insulation.
Check Air Ventilation
Make sure no insulation is blocking the vents in your home, especially in your attic. Air cannot easily flow through blocked vents, which leads to poor ventilation and poor air quality. Water stains on your ceiling may also indicate roof leaks or poor ventilation, so check for those too.
Improper ventilation can cause ice dams on your roof in the winter, leading to leaks, roof damage, and damp insulation that no longer does its job. Proper ventilation regulates your home’s temperature, meaning you and your family will be nice and cozy regardless of the conditions outside.
Check for mold and mildew while you’re looking in your attic. If you notice any, that can be a sign of a more serious ventilation problem. Mold is challenging to deal with, so hire a mold removal professional near you to help you fix the problem.
Look for Air Leaks
Don’t worry about tracking down every tiny air leak in your house, but look for evidence of significant leaks draining warm air or allowing cold air in. Areas where leaks are common include:
Attic floors
Attic doors
Dropped soffits
Vent fans
Dryer vents
Crawl spaces
Outdoor faucets
Duct registers
Around windows
Around doors
If you’re unsure what could be considered a leak, a local insulation contractor can help you determine weak spots (if you have them).
Check Insulation Levels
You can use an electrical outlet to check if your exterior walls have adequate insulation.
Head to your breaker and turn off the power to the outlet
Remove the outlet cover and shine a powerful flashlight into the crack around the box. You should be able to see insulation in the wall, and it shouldn’t look damaged or discolored.
Repeat for every floor of your home, checking the insulation
Make note of which areas don’t have any or enough insulation in them
The Department of Energy recommends that all exterior walls be insulated and full, but recommended insulation levels vary depending on where you live.
Repairing Your Insulation
If you notice air leaks, poor ventilation, or general insulation problems during your inspection, these issues need to be fixed. If you have experience in sealing leaks and working in insulation, you can tackle this yourself in some cases. Depending on where the issue is, you may simply be able to install new insulation, especially if the issue is in your attic, unfinished basement, or garage.
If your insulation issue is somewhere behind a finished wall, it’s best to hire a pro. They’ll be able to use an insulation like blown-in insulation to get the proper amount of insulation in without making giant holes in your walls. This will cost about $1.50 to $3.50 per square foot for labor and materials. Just keep in mind that you might also need to pay for drywall repair afterward.
Repair Air Leaks
How you fix an air leak depends on where it is:
Caulk and weatherstrip air leaks on doors, windows, and around plumbing, ducting, and electrical wiring
On larger leaks, use foam sealant to fill the gap
Seal leaks around your chimney, furnace, and gas-powered water heater vents with fire-resistant sealants like furnace cement caulk
You can seal most air leaks on your own but don’t hesitate to hire a contractor to get the job done if you feel uncomfortable working with these materials (or if you just don’t have time). Plugging air leaks in your house can save you a lot of money on your energy bill in the long run, so paying for the labor costs will very likely be worth it.
Add Extra Insulation as Needed
Hire a professional to do this part if you aren’t experienced at working with insulation. While insulation looks fluffy and harmless, it can actually be a health hazard if it comes in contact with your skin or you accidentally breathe it in. And if you make a mistake, you could damage your home’s ventilation, which will lower the air quality over time.
If you notice issues like uncomfortable temperatures in your home or unusually high energy bills, it might be worth it to hire a professional to carry out an air leak test, which will identify problem areas and air leaks using high-tech equipment. An insulation repair specialist can then address those issues to restore your home’s insulative capabilities.
Frequently Asked Questions
In most cases, yes, a cold wall does mean that it’s poorly insulated. Depending on where you live and the age of your home, a cold wall may not be insulated at all, or the insulation might be too old or damaged from water, moisture, or pests to do its job correctly. Your best course of action is to hire a professional to add insulation or fully replace it to boost your home’s energy efficiency and get your living space comfortable again. In some cases, a pro can do this work without making large holes in your drywall.
It is possible to insulate your walls without removing drywall, but it’s not a good idea to attempt the work yourself. A professional can use blown-in insulation or spray foam insulation to fill wall voids without opening up the walls, and the option they use typically depends on your climate and whether or not there’s insulation in your wall already that can remain in place. Spray foam insulation costs more and isn’t always a viable option, but it’s a better insulator. Call in an expert to help decide which is right for you.